Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-05-20
LIFE IN THE STeeRAGs.


II L. No Sea Picnic"
A writer in Outing puts in a plea for
the steerage, and advises individuals m
families to whom expenditure i, in any
important degree a consideration Ia
travel by that means, Us they can get To
their destination at the rate of 81 "A day
instead of at $40 a DAY. The romance
of travel, like the romance If life, is the
rough sideo il, this writer says. why
not regard an experience in the steerage
as a sea picnic or a bit of marine ruStl-
cationg'
A gentleman who made a trip in the
steerage of an ocean steamship Just for
fun read the article in Outing with
much interest. Il wonder if the writer
yer tried "A steerage passage: lie SAID to
a reporter for this paper. Il think not.
The chances are that he has merely stood
on the bridge and watched the steerage
victims in their p~leasanter odd moments,
when they are allowed on deck, and are
joyous in their temporary release from
their dark imprisonment below. Ger
tainly no man who had ever been a steer
age passenger in reality would econ
mend such an experiment to any but a
lost soul who had only that means of es-
cape from some dread calamity. a
steerage passage. Great heavens! Does
the writer realize the full meaning of his
advice: Now let me tell YOU what a
steerage is like. Along, low, dark room,
dimly illuminated during the day by
struggling rays through the thick head
lights, against which the waters swash
continually, and at night by a smoky Ian
tern whose cherries rays only add To the
cherries gloom. A long hoard table, a
few round stools constitute the only
furniture. Along the sides are ranged
two or three tiers of open hunks against
the damp ship thinkers. for the % is
mostly helow the water line.
Here are gathered p~romiscuously
men. women and children. hcrled to-
gether like animals rather than human
beings in their miserable quarters, and in
their forced confinement mplcSty Is soon
forgotten. The ventilation at best is hut
spring balies and their not uverclean gar
nIpnts. together with the re+.king Iiml4rs.
the ulor Of pitch. the musty lelding, the
steam from the food and the fumes from
old tobacco Nilss. render the atmosphere
foul. Sitting, and nauSeating in the eN-
treme, which is by no means clarified in
case Of violent weather when seasickness
il common The only escape from the
uninvitinG pen is when the victims are al
lowed on deck, In pleasant weather life
on deck is ENJOYABLE and full Of interest.
The menu Of the sttrragr usually in-
cludes soups in tin kettles, coarse meats,
hash, i'll boiled potatoes and broken bread
from the cabin table. This food is served
in tin ~dishpans. Tea and coffee are passed
around in buckets, the principal differ
ence between them being that the tea is
less thick and muddy than thec0ifee. The
whole mess is slung p+ll nell On the table
and the Passengers make adive and grab
The number of tin plates and cups. iron
knives and forks and tin spoons is linn
tied. Heor she who fails Il secure a sup
ply Of dishes at the first grab must simply
wait ull some luckier individual finishes.
There hEing no possible opportunity to
wash the utensils. they must he used as
they are, except such cleaning AS could
be done by scraping of with the knife,
Then there is another matter that
claims attention. No facilities are pro-
yidcd for bathing. The steerage passen-
ger may wash his hands and face in the
common tin wash dish IN deck. hut that's
all. Under such conditions bugs and
v"rmin thrive aIace, and the less one is
inclined Ia tolerate them tn" more they
arr determined Ia grow intimate. and
their increase is only determined 10y the
length of the voyage. New York Com
mrrcial Advertiser.